Game 2 was a must win situation for the Phillies. They couldn’t afford to be down 0-2 with the series shifting back to San Francisco for three games in a row. The Phillies turned to Roy Oswalt hoping the veteran would shake off his subpar performance against the Reds.
Oswalt did not disappoint. He looked like a completely different pitcher this time around. He had a strong command of pitches, and was in control of the game from the moment he stepped on the mound. He mixed up his pitches well and kept the Giants hitters off balance throughout the game.
The Giants managed only three hits and three walks off Oswalt over 8 innings. Oswalt’s only mistake was the homerun he gave up to Cody Ross in the 5th inning, which was also the first hit he gave up in the game. The rest of the Giants lineup couldn’t solve the veteran right-hander.
Oswalt had little margin for error until the 8th inning. The Phillies offense wasn’t doing much to support him until then, having only put up two runs in the first six innings.
Not only did Oswalt pitch the Phillies to victory, he also helped on offense by beginning the 7th inning with a base hit. That hit led to a four run inning that helped the Phillies put the game away.
Charlie Manuel thought about ending Oswalt’s night when he worked into a two-on and two-out jamb in the 8th. But Manuel showed trust in his pitcher to finish the inning. Oswalt responded by forcing Aubrey Huff to fly out to centerfield to end the inning.
Oswalt entered Game 2 with something to prove after being the only pitcher of the big three to not have an impressive outing in the NLDS. Oswalt needed to be on top of his game to keep the Phillies from falling into an 0-2 hole, and he answered the call.
Couldn’t agree more. Great article.